Electric gas-lighter



Patented May 2, 1882.

W. H. H. WHITING.

ELECTRIC GAS LIGHTER.

(N0 Model.)

v,ment on Letters Patent No. 209,549, dated No- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2 VVILLAM H. H. VVHITING,`OF CHELSEA, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC GAS-LIGHTER.

SPEGIFICATLON forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,195, dated May 2, 1882.

Application filed December 29,1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. H. WHIT- ING, of Chelsea, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Electric Gas-Lighters, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

Myinvention relates to an apparatus for producing an electric spark for the purpose of lighting gas, and is intended as an improvevem ber 5, 1878,and No. 222,555, dated December 29, 187 9, to which reference may be had.

rlhe present invention has for its object to include in a single compact apparatus all the elements necessaryy for producing electric sparks, the said apparatus being of convenient form to be carried abolut in and manipulated by the hand ot' the operator. For this purpose the contact-electrodes, by which the circuit is made and broken for the purpose of producing sparks, and which correspond in function to those shown in the patents before referred to, are mounted upon a base which forms one end of a cylindrical casein which the coil that is employed to increase the spark by the inductive action ot' its successive convolutions is placed. This case is shown as made ot" a shell of hard rubber, and is of convenient size and shape to be grasped and held in the hand of the operator. At the lower end of the ease and connected therewith is the battery, (shown as asingle cellofsmall size,) thekind known as a bichromate7 or sal-ammonia7 battery being preferred. The battery is preferably connected with the coil-case by a universaljoint, and flexible electrical conductors are used, so that the said battery will remain in a vertical position without disturbing` its liquid contents while the coil and the electrodes are manipulated bythe operator for the purpose of obtaining more convenient access to the burner to be lighted.

Figure lis a side elevation of a complete apparatus embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a vlongitudinal section of the upper portion thereof, showing the electrodes and a portion of the end of the coil, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section of the battery-cup.

In Fig. 2, A represents the battery, B the case containing the coil, and C the circuit breaking and closingelectrodes between which the spark is formed, the said case B being of suitable size and shape to be readily grasped and manipulated by the hand of the operator.

The cup or vessel a., containing the material for generating an electric current, is provided at its upper end with a cap, b, to which the usual zinc and carbon poles are connected by metallic lugs, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The said cap b is provided with screws c, (see Fig. 1,) that by their engagement with notchesI 2 at the upper end of the vessel a serve as a clasp to fasten the said vessel upon the said cap, atter the manner ot' what is known as a bayonet-joint.77 The said cap I) is provided with an eye, d, which interlocks with a similar eye, d', connected with the bottom ofthe case B,these eyes d d permitting a universal angular movement of the case B relative to the batteryaA, which latter will thus always remain in a vertical position, regardless of the devia-tions ot' the case B in the hand of the operator.

The upper end of the case B is provided with a block, e, which serves as a base for the snpport of the electrodes, one of which is formed as a piece ot' stiff wire,f, bentin a U shape., the ends ofwhich are fastened at either side of the said base e. The vcurved portion of this wire is provided with a downwardly projecting point, 3, (see Fig. 2,) which lies in the path of a metallic brush, 4, at the end of a metallic arm, g, held in asocket, g', pivoted' at 5 upon lugs 7L, supported on the top of the base e, and insulated from the wire f, fastened to the sides thereof, the said base e. being of insulating material.

The socket g of the arm g is provided with a thumb-piece and is acted upon by a spring, g3, to keep the brush 4 remote from the projection 3, as shown in Fig. 2, the movement of the socket gcaused by the spring bein g limited by the stop-projection 6 thereon. The base e is also provided with a finger-piece, i, which is properly located to rest over the t'oretinger of the hand grasping the case B, while the thumb is in proper position to operate the thumbpiece g2.

One pole of the battery A is connected with a iexible wire, 20, which passes directly through the case B to one end of the wiref, as shown in Fig. l. The other pole is connected by wire TOO 21 with one end of the coil 22, (see Fig. 2,) the other end of which is connectedby wire 23 with the supporting-lugs of the vibrati ng arm g, and through them and the said arm with the brush 4, which thus forms one terminal, while the projection 3 from the wire f forms the other terminal of the battery A, the coil being included in the circuit.

The operator, by pressing on the thu nib-piece g2, will swing the arm g in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, carrying the brush et across the point 3, and thus making and breaking the circuit and producing a spark between the said points. When he releases the said thumbpiece the spring g3 will carry the arm back.

again, making and breaking the circuit once more. The Wire f is provided with a bellshapedhood, Z, surrounding the projection b', its function being to collect a body of gas issuing from the burner to be lighted, so that the spark will be formed in the midst thereof.

The arm g is made adjustable longitudinally in its socket-piece g', so as to regulate the position of the end of the brush relative to the projection 3. i

It is obvious that the base-pieces c at the upper end of the coil may be lengthencd into a pole when the burners to be lighted are inaccessible to the shorter apparatus, suitable inechanical connections being then provided for operating the arm g.

I clainn- 1. The herein-described gas-lighting apparatus, it consisting of a cylindrical coil of wire,

contact-electrodes mounted on one end of the case or frame-work ofthe said coil, and a battery-cell mechanically attached to the other end of the said coil, its poles being connected in circuit through the said coil with the said electrodes supported thereon, substantially as described.

2. The coil and electrodes supported thereon, combined with the battery-cell connected with the case or frame-work of the said coil by a universal joint, substantially as described.

3. The electrode, consisting of a xedfU- shaped wire', and thcbell-shaped hood mounted thereon, combined with the co-operating electrede, consisting of a springpressed pivoted arm located between the parallel portions of the U-shaped electrode in position to make electrical contact therewith, near the center of the said hood, substantially as described.

4. The coil of wire and its cylindrical inclosing-case, adapted to serve as a handle, com,- bined with the supporting finger-piece i, and the electrodes mounted on one end ot' the said case, one of the said electrodes being provided with an operating thumb-piece, and the battery-cup attached to the other end of the said case, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specication in lthe presence ot' ,two subscribing witnesses.

' WM. H. H. WHITING.

Witnesses:

Jos. P. LIVERMORE,

W. El. SIGsToN. 

